A meeting of G20 tourism ministers is held via video in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Oct 7, 2020. (G20 SAUDI ARABIA / HANDOUT VIA XINHUA)

RIYADH - The Group of 20 (G20) tourism ministers agreed on Wednesday to maximize the tourism sector's contribution to inclusive and sustainable development.

G20 tourism ministers vowed to continue to work together to facilitate the sector's recovery from the pandemic and support those most impacted by the crisis within the sector

The ministers urged further developing the sector as a key and resilient industry, which will contribute to the global economy and generate decent work, according to a statement of the Saudi G20 Presidency issued after a meeting.

The officials addressed challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and steps to promote recovery of the sector.

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Participants in the meeting said the sector contributed to 10.3 percent of the world's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 330 million jobs in 2019.

They said the pandemic resulted in 60-80 percent decline in international tourism in 2020.

The ministers vowed to continue to work together to facilitate the sector's recovery from the pandemic and support those most impacted by the crisis within the sector.

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Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, the G20 countries have been holding regular meetings to deal with the impacts of the deadly virus in various sectors.

During the G20 leaders' summit in March, the G20 leaders vowed to pump more than US$5 trillion into the international economy.